Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arica and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $109 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$109

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arica and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arica and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $109 per month in Arica vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Arica $109
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $176 per month in Arica vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Arica $176
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $243 per month in Arica vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Arica $243
Medellin $3,186

Arica is about 93% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arica sits 92% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,801

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,184

$1.41 COP 4,554

-15.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 CLP 1,014

$1.51 COP 4,869

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 CLP 723

$1.17 COP 3,766

-37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K COP 109.8M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 111.8M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 COP 547.0K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 CLP 40.2K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-52.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.92 CLP 19.8K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-65.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 CLP 53.0K

$135 COP 435.2K

-60.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 CLP 88.6K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 CLP 499.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-23.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arica

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Arica

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arica

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Arica

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Arica

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Arica

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Arica

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 31% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Arica

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

12:28 12:28 PM

2 h behind Arica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,131

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arica Medellin 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Arica
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arica vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $109 in Arica, $1,639 in Medellin – Arica comes out roughly 93% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $164 per month in Arica and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $109 in Arica and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Arica about 93% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 2809% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $109, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $109 in Arica to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arica. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.